Activists to host International Day of Action against ‘stone-the-gays’ Sultan

Activists in 13 cities worldwide are to hold an International Day of Action on Friday, in a continuation of the protest against anti-gay and anti-women laws in Brunei, as part of the #StopTheSultan campaign.

Brunei and its Sultan have been widely condemned following the introduction of a new penal code which calls for death by stoning for same-sex sexual activity.

Protests will be held outside hotels owned by Brunei and run by the Dorchester Collection. This includes Le Richemond in Geneva, Hotel Eden in Rome, and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

A demo is to be held in Mayfair, London by LGBT rights activists and the GMB trade union. The campaign calls for a continued hotel boycott, and for the Sultan to “change the laws or sell the hotels”.

Rallies are also planned at Brunei embassies in four continents, including those in Canberra, Australia and Delhi, India.

The protests, which are planned to mark the 45^th anniversary of the New York Stonewall Riots, are a continuation of a celebrity hotel boycott which has lasted for several months.

Stephen Fry, one of those publically involved in the boycott, yesterday tweeted: “Still boycotting @DC_LuxuryHotels until the anti-gay laws in Brunei are repealed. #uprising of love #StopTheSultan #havetomakeastand”.

The day of action falls in the same week as reality TV star Kim Kardashian posted on her website to question the efficacy of a hotel boycott, suggesting it would harm staff rather than the Sultan.

Despite the international backlash, the Dorchester Collection has promised to guarantee the jobs, income, gratuities and benefits of all its employees.

• Nov 29 2023

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